Missing the “old days” is the sport most loved by half the world: from the bucolic “once upon a time it was all countryside here” to the nostalgic “when he was there the trains arrived on time”. The temptation of traditionalism it is strong in all areas, and cooking is certainly no exception. «There are no longer the flavors of the past!» (maybe it was that beautiful nuance of dioxin from when farmers burned tires in the gardens).
A prime example of this unconditional passion for “good, old things” is the veal with tuna sauce. I’m not talking about the sauce – about which there is an at times noble debate between supporters of the “old” or “new” way – but about the meat. I have heard myself repeated several times: «But since when is vitello tonnato pink? My childhood was completely different.” The comment is truthful: astute and unscrupulous chefs have in fact discovered that if the silverside, or other piece suitable for the purpose, instead of being boiled and over-boiled, is cooked at a low temperature or roasted, it gives an incredibly more satisfying result. The meats are more tender, tastier, less dry.
When I was a boy, however – we are talking about the Seventies/Eighties – the overcooked cut turned gray and if it was not sliced very thin and submerged in mayonnaise it was impossible to chew (in fact the home-made versions, roughly cut with a knife, were the real challenge of Christmas lunches). The veal with tuna revolution of recent years, therefore, should not be viewed with distrust, but with enthusiasm: hey, guys, we managed to improve an already delicious dish! And also with a touch of self-love: it seems that the «new vitello tonnato» is the fruit of Baronetto’s intuition when he was staying with Cracco. In “traditional” cuisine – that daughter of creativity that has been successful, thus becoming innovation – improvements are rare, but this is certainly one of them.
After all, we are talking about a dish that has undergone a thousand transformations: when it was «tonné» in the eighteenth century it was a completely different thing, even without tuna, and mayonnaise only arrived in the 1950s. Many recipes are better today than in the past: home technologies – such as refrigeration or non-stick pans – and widespread techniques – above all, cooking raw materials much less, without destroying them – allow us to produce better, healthier and more nutritious foods. When he was there the trains arrived on time, once upon a time it was all countryside here and the veal with tuna sauce was grey. And leathery like a sole.
.){kind=link}